Lyft launching Thursday in Orlando

Paul Brinkmann

Lyft, a car service company similar to Uber, is launching in Orlando on Thursday July 31.

I blogged about Lyft advertising for drivers here a few weeks ago, and recruiters said they were hiring drivers quickly. The company advertises that its rides are, on average, 20 to 30 percent cheaper than most traditional taxi companies.

Lyft is similar to Uber, which launched its service in Orlando on June 4. Both companies refer to themselves as “ride-sharing." They are actually car services similar in some ways to taxi companies. But their drivers are average citizens who offer their personal vehicles for hire.

Like Uber, Lyft is not seeking permits under the city’s vehicle-for-hire ordinances. The city began ticketing Uber drivers after it had been operating here for a few weeks.

"We have been in touch with Orlando city leaders, and have had several positive discussions," said Lyft spokeswoman Katie Dally. "We will continue to work together on a permanent solution that ensures ridesharing can thrive in Orlando."

Lyft is already operating in Tampa. Both Uber and Lyft have sparked controversy because they generally skirt regulations that taxi and limo companies must comply with. Uber has said it was discussing permitting regulations with city officials.

Lyft is different from Uber is some ways. Most Lyft drivers identify their vehicles using bright pink mustaches on the grill, while Uber cars are totally unmarked. But both services use a mobile phone app to connect fares with cars, and the cars and drivers are identified on the app before they arrive.